Red cracking bolete - Xerocomellus chrysenteron
- The Foraging Course Company
- Jun 3
- 2 min read
Edible mushroom - intermediate Season - summer to autumn Common names Red cracking bolete, red cracked bolete, red crack bolete
Scientific name meaning: Xero is from the Greek xer, meaning dry. Ellus is Latin for diminutive, in this case, like a small Xerocomus. Chrysenteron is from the Greek words chrysos, meaning gold, and enteron, meaning the bowels or innards
Overall structure and growth  The red cracking bolete can be found as scattered individual specimens or in large groups. It is quite an untidy mushroom and often has a misshapen cap and stem. It is susceptible to slug/snail damage and, like other Xerocomoids, Hypomyces infection. |
Cap  Starting off dark brown, almost black, the cap is domed and covered in fine velvety hairs. It can reach 3 to 10cm wide. As it ages, the surface skin cracks and reddish flesh can be seen through the cracks. |
Pores, tubes and spores  The pore surface and tubes are lemon yellow becoming dirty yellow with age. In older specimens the pore surface turns slowly blue-green when damaged. The spores are olive-brown. |
Stem  Around 4 to 8cm tall and 1 to 1.5cm wide, the yellow stem has red dotted streaks or areas except at the very top. It has no ring or skirt. |
Flesh, taste and smell  The yellow flesh has a hardly noticeable blue colour change when damaged. The smell and taste are mild. |
Possible lookalikes  It could be easily confused with the suede bolete (Xerocomus submentosus) or blue foot bolete (Xerocomellus cisalpinus), pictured, but these are also edible. The latter has blue bruising, especially in the stem base, when damaged. |
Use as a food Must be cooked but has a poor flavour and texture. Used mostly to bulk out a mushroom mix Hazards None known
Use in herbal medicine and medicine None known
If you are suffering from any ailment or need medical advice, please see your General Practitioner Other uses None known Importance to other species Slugs and snails often eat these mushrooms, as do various larvae
Always stay safe when foraging. You need to be 100% sure of your identification, 100% sure that your foraged item is edible, and 100% sure that you are not allergic to it (it is good practice to always try a small amount of any new food you are consuming). If in doubt, leave it out!
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